Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has dismissed complaints from some firefighters about the increased risk of injury because of rigorous fitness tests as nothing more than “a concerted effort by a small complement of staff members (who hope to) escape the assessment or who have been found wanting in this area of their required function”.
Since the Cape Argus reported on allegations that firefighters were being pushed to extremes during physical tests so that they did not risk losing their shift work allowances, more firefighters have come forward with complaints.
A senior firefighter compiled a report in September about the city’s fitness assessments, a few weeks before the Cape Argus’ article. In the document which the Cape Argus has seen, he alleged that the assessments bring “panic, confusion and emotional distress” to many of the staff.
“The truth of the matter is that no one would ever deny that the fitness policy, including the actual assessment, is of vital importance to firefighters, but the manner in which this process is being carried out is of a very low and immoral standard,” he said.
“Why do firefighters feel they are being bullied into a process where they can hurt themselves?”
He said that the city’s fitness test policy of 2009 stipulated that the assessments would be done by registered intermediate and advanced emergency care staff and with “non-punitive, confidential and positive individualised programmes”.
However, the response from firefighters highlighted the following issues:
There is no privacy as staff are sometimes even tested in the TV room of the fire station.
Firefighters are being forced to race against the clock, even though they are not trained to run at work. Many ignore the advice of the medical staff to stop, because they are afraid of being penalised.
Blood pressure devices are not properly calibrated and the staff doing the tests are not adequately trained.
Some of the activities, such as the tyre drag exercise, put the safety of firefighters at risk.
The firefighter said the fitness assessment process had to be reviewed.
“Physical fitness should be embraced, instead the reality is that the assessments create chaos. Busier stations do not have the time to train on duty, even though the equipment is available. Are we really willing to put the safety of our staff at risk to get results?”
Another firefighter told the Cape Argus that a female colleague tore leg ligaments when dragging a tyre during tests on October 1.
He said the physical tests were the cause of more injuries on duty than normal firefighting duties.
“Why is the fire chief so adamant that his fitness assessments carry on when there are so many injuries?”
But Richard Bosman, executive director of safety and security, said: “This is the sixth year that the assessment is being conducted and it has been refined and made ‘easier’. However, where fitness levels are not what they should be, injuries would be a possibility and thus an indication that staff are not maintaining their fitness levels.”
Bosman said it was only the blood pressure, heart rate and weight assessments that were conducted in the TV room, which has been converted for this exercise. “No physical tests are conducted in this space.”
He also denied claims that the running tests were putting staff at risk. “This is not true, as it is a simple shuttle running test where staff are advised beforehand to have running shoes and PT clothing. It is not done in full firefighting gear.”
Bosman said staff had to fill in a questionnaire covering all possible problems before they did the physical test.
It was untrue that staff were not properly trained, he said. The equipment used was also up to standard.
“We review the assessment every year to improve areas of concern. This appears to be a concerted effort by a small complement of staff members to escape the assessment or who have been found wanting.”
Cape Argus